APSSC Student Research Award Winner: Perceived Stress and Cortisol Secretion: the Protective Role of Optimism

This longitudinal study of older adults examined within-person associations between daily stress and cortisol secretion. Dispositional optimism was found to buffer the adverse effect of stress on cortisol. Optimistic older adults were protected from secreting elevated cortisol on days involving elevated, as compared to reduced, levels of stress.